Hyderabad’s L Srinivas Reddy mentors Indian team to kabaddi gold at Youth Asian Games

L Srinivas Reddy, a Hyderabad-based coach, led the Indian boys' kabaddi team to gold at the Youth Asian Games in Bahrain. The team remained unbeaten, with a thrilling 35-32 victory over Iran in the final, showcasing India’s kabaddi talent

Hyderabad: India winning a ‘golden double’ in kabaddi at the Youth Asian Games (YAG) in Bahrain is proof of the abundance of talent that augurs well for the sport in the country, says L. Srinivas Reddy, head coach of the Indian boys’ team which won the gold.

The 47-year-old Hyderabadi, who earlier mentored South Korea, Australia, and Bangladesh, besides several franchises including Jaipur Pink Panthers in the PKL, said the result was due to a lot of planning and effort.

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“It is all the more special as kabaddi was introduced in the YAG for the first time. This is significant as there are plans to include kabaddi in the Commonwealth Games too,” he said.

“The probables for the YAG were picked during the Junior Nationals in Haridwar, where I was scouting talent as a selector. Then, we had a one-month-long camp in Sonepat before the final squad was selected for the YAG,” he recalled in a chat with Telangana Today.

“It was a very consistent performance as India was unbeaten in the seven-team event, including a thrilling 35-32 win against Iran in the final,” said Srinivas Reddy, who hails from Utharpalle in Sangareddy (Telangana).

The Senior Manager at Union Bank of India in Gachibowli here said the boys showed great grit, determination, and wonderful teamwork.

“Frankly, I am pleased with this show as the future of Indian kabaddi looks assured, given the kind of talent available. Many from this team have the potential to play for the country,” said the head coach, who is also on the Star Sports TV commentary panel for the ongoing PKL. His wife, a National Games gold medallist in kabaddi, is now a well-known TV commentator.

He was a bit disappointed that some of the players missed the bus for the YAG because of passport issues and also pointed out that Telangana’s talented Arjun was unlucky to miss selection, as the competition and the standard of players were so high.

Srinivas Reddy, who was a gold medallist himself in the 2005 Asian Championship, felt that the Youth Asian Games had proved to be another major international platform for young Indian talent to showcase its skills.